1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a motor vehicle roof with a shade arrangement located underneath an at least partially transparent roof section.
2. Description of Related Art
Conventionally, a shade arrangement for a vehicle roof with a transparent roof section comprises a body-mounted take-up shaft which is pre-tensioned in the take-up direction in order to take up a length of shade. Furthermore, a pull for pulling out the length of shade is provided on the front end of the shade.
German Patent Application DE 101 40 239 A1 describes a shade arrangement for a vehicle roof in which there is a take-up shaft which is guided to move on lateral guides of the vehicle roof and which can be moved between a lowered, rear rest position and an operating position under a transparent roof area. On the front end of the length of shade, there is a pull which is driven by a drive to extend the length of shade. For lateral guidance of the take-up shaft and the pull, there is a common lateral guide rail. The drive of the take-up shaft and of the pull takes place via compressively stiff drive cables by means of two separate motors.
Furthermore, vehicle roofs are known in which, underneath a transparent roof section, there are two separate shade arrangements in succession in the lengthwise direction of the roof, each shade arrangement having a take-up shaft with a length of shade which can be wound onto it; see, for example, German Patent Application DE 100 19 664 A1 (which corresponds to U.S. Pat. No. 6,520,569), German Patent DE 101 24 100 C1 (which corresponds to U.S. Pat. No. 6,682,133), and German Patent Applications DE 102 06 161 A1 and DE 102 30 443 A1. In this connection, the two take-up shafts can be coupled to one another by means of a coupling mechanism (see, German Patent Application DE 102 06 161 A1) or the pulls of the two lengths of shade can be coupled to one another (see, German Patent DE 101 24 100 C1).
The disadvantage in these structures with two successive shade arrangements is the relative construction effort, although, in this way, transparent roof areas with a great extension in the lengthwise direction of the roof can be shaded.
German Patent Application DE 197 22 722 A1 discloses a shading device for a vehicle roof in which there is a shade arrangement between two panes which has two take-up shafts which are stationary in the lengthwise direction of the roof, and between which a length of shade extends which can be taken up at each end onto a respective one of the two take-up shafts. The length of shade comprises two areas in the lengthwise direction of the roof that have different optical transparency. The take-up shafts can be driven by one motor or by two separate electric motors.